Legal restrictions on households in Wolverhampton mixing with each other have been announced by the Government and will come into place on Tuesday, although residents in the city are being encouraged to follow them from today.
Wolverhampton has become an area of national intervention due to a sustained raise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
Latest data shows that confirmed cases have risen dramatically in a fortnight. There were around 60 cases per 100,000 residents in the seven days to 12th September compared to 12.6 cases per 100,000 in the week to 29th August. Some 90 per cent of cases are linked to household to household transmission.
The new restrictions mean Wolverhampton residents must not allow people they don't live with or who are not part of their bubble into homes or gardens.
People also will not be allowed to visit people who they do not live with or who are not part of their bubble, in Wolverhampton or elsewhere, while only essential visits inside the home, such as by carers or for urgent repairs, will be allowed.
These restrictions will be law and people could be fined for breaking them.
However, the measures will not affect schools, public transport or workplaces, though everyone should still practice social distancing and wear a face covering where required.
For more details of the new measures, please visit Local restrictions in Wolverhampton.
Councillor Ian Brookfield, leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “All the evidence shows that close contact within the home or between households is a major cause of the spread of Covid-19, and that's why for the last few days we've been urging households to stay apart from one another.
“We've all had to do this before; now we need to do it again if we are to stop the spread of coronavirus, keep our loved ones safe and protect jobs and our economy. Please play your part and together we will get through this.”
John Denley, Wolverhampton’s director of public health, added: “Everyone in Wolverhampton has a role to play in the fight against coronavirus and we need everyone to take these new restrictions extremely seriously in order to protect each other and keep everyone safe.
“The new rules are mandatory, so please follow them.”
As well as avoiding household to household contact, people are reminded they should continue to:
- Wash their hands regularly for 20 seconds
- Wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult or where they encounter people they do not normally meet
- Stay two metres apart from people they do not live with, or one metre-plus with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings) where two metres is not possible
- Get a test if they have symptoms of Covid-19, however mild, by visiting Coronavirus (COVID-19)or calling 119 and share their contact details for Test and Trace purposes
